The Cambodian lawyer for jailed New
Zealander Graham Cleghorn has quit in "pure frustration" at the
country's corrupt legal system.

The move has supporters of
Cleghorn, 58, jailed for 20 years on rape charges, concerned at his chances
of winning an appeal against his conviction.

Cleghorn's New Zealand-based
lawyer, Greg King, said his Cambodian counterpart, Dy Borima, was due to
appear at the July 10 hearing, but had quit. Mr Borima had resigned out of
"pure frustration" at a corrupt legal system after unsuccessfully defending
an Australian man jailed on similar sex charges to Cleghorn, he said.

Bart Lauwaert had an appeal
against a 20-year jail term dismissed in a Phnom Penh court -- despite all nine
complainants from his original trial recanting claims he raped them.

"We had pinned our hopes on
the integrity of the Cambodian legal system, but after the recent events
there is a very real concern that Graham Cleghorn will not receive
justice," Mr King said.

Otago University-trained Cambodian
lawyer Ock Ry had since been hired to represent Cleghorn.